Charlotte Evans
by moms2398
Summary: Audra's friend from school arrives with a secret. OC/Nick. My first "Big Valley" fic. Please Read and Review.
1. Introductions

Nick Barkley stormed through the Barkley manor with a purpose, yelling "Audra!" It wasn't that he was upset, it was simply his way. He was always being chastised by his mother for yelling in the house. He quickly approached his sister's room with his long legs making short time of the space and barely knocked on the door before throwing it open. "Audra! Didn't you hear me calling you?"

A splash and a gasp made him frown. Why would his sister be taking a bath in the middle of the day?

"Audra's not here, although I'm fairly certain she heard you in the barn, which is where she said she was going."

Nick saw then that the figure in the bath didn't have his sister flaxen, sun-kissed hair, but darker hair. What's more, he saw her bare shoulders and back as she leaned forward to guard her modesty. He noticed a small mark on her shoulder and stopped himself from moving closer to see what it was.

"Who are you?" he demanded.

"Charlotte Evans. Who are you?" she glanced over her shoulder at him and reached for the towel that was on a nearby table.

Nick drew himself up and put his hands on his waist. "Nick Barkley."

"Is it your habit, Mr. Barkley, to come unwanted into a woman's bath and stand ogling her?"

"Ogling?!" Nick exclaimed.

"What would you call it? I notice you have not turned away."

He realized that she had a point and turned away. "I beg your pardon, Ms. Evans. I will leave you to your bath," he swung the door open and slammed it behind him. He winced when he realized how hard he'd shut it, but didn't stop to offer any apology. As he walked away, Audra came up the stairs.

"Nick! Were you just coming from my room?"

He growled. "Yes," and stormed by her, completely forgetting the reason he'd been looking for her in the first place.

Audra knocked on her door and entered. When she saw that her friend was still in the tub, her eyes widened. "Nick was in here?!"

Her friend sighed. "I would not have thought he would be your brother in a million years! He's so different from you and Jarrod!"

Audra smiled. "He didn't say anything rude, did he?"

"No," she smiled, rising from the tub with her towel wrapped around her. "He was just brusque. And I think surprised to find someone other than you in here."

Audra laughed. "I'll leave you to get dressed. We'll have tea in the parlor when you're ready. Then you can meet my mother."

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Nick barged into the study, where Jarrod sat working on ranch business, and moved to pour himself a whiskey.

"Little Brother," Jarrod smiled, recognizing his brother's mood.

"Have you met Audra's friend?" he asked, slamming back the drink.

"Yes," he smiled. "She accompanied me from San Francisco."

"She's got sharp tongue, that one."

Jarrod looked surprised. "Charlie?"

Nick frowned. "Who?"

"Charlotte Evans."

"Yeah. Woman told me I was 'ogling' her."

Jarrod's pale blue eyes surveyed his brother with raised eyebrows. "Were you?"

"NO!" he bellowed. "I was just surprised to see a dark-haired woman in a tub in Audra's room instead of our dear fair-haired sister."

Jarrod shook his head. "Nick, I'm not sure we're talking about the same person."

"Charlotte Evans?"

"Yes."

"That's who she said she was, before she accused me of 'ogling' her."

Jarrod shrugged with his face. "Well, Nick, let me ask. When you saw that it was not our fair-haired sister in the room, did you immediately withdraw?"

Nick looked chagrinned. "I told you I was surprised!" he said, defensively.

"Ah." Jarrod smiled. "And you were, of course, quick to apologize for the intrusion."

Nick poured himself another drink and downed it without a word.

Jarrod smiled. "I can see Audra and I will be apologizing for your terrible manners at supper tonight."

Nick spun to face his brother. "Now, look here, Jarrod! Nobody needs to apologize for me!"

"So you'll be doing it yourself?"

Nick slammed the glass he'd been holding down on the table next to the whiskey decanter and stormed out of the room, slamming the study door and not pausing, this time, at the sound it made.

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"I must say, Mrs. Barkley, that your home is just fabulous. I know some women in San Francisco and Richmond who would be absolutely green with envy."

Victoria Barkley, silver-haired matriarch of the Barkley family, smiled at her guest. "Thank you, but I wonder, Ms. Evans, if they would. After all, Richmond and San Francisco are bustling metropolises. Our valley is far from that. It might take away from some of the attraction."

Charlotte Evans, who had been given the nickname "Charlie" by her rambunctious Scots-Irish grandfather, smiled over her tea. "I think its distance adds to the attraction, ma'am. It is not so far from San Francisco that you can't attend a social event or two a season, but far enough away where you don't have to worry about making every event or being gossiped about if you chose not to go."

Both Victoria and Audra nodded in agreement.

"Mother," Audra spoke with a smile. "Will Heath be home for supper? Charlie's met Jarrod and Eugene, and, now, Nick," she glanced at Charlie who smiled ruefully with a shake of her head. "Heath is the only one she hasn't met."

"As far as I know. He was working on some fences in the North Forty, but he should be along."

"I have to thank you, again, Mrs. Barkley, for welcoming me into your home. I have been completely welcomed, as if I were in my mother's own home."

"Completely?" Audra said, again with a twinkle.

Charlie shook her head, with a smile. "You naughty girl! Are you trying, purposely, to get your brother into trouble?"

"That is what siblings do, Ms. Evans, don't you know?" Victoria smiled as she sipped her tea.

"Please, Mrs. Barkley, call me Charlie or, at least, Charlotte. As for siblings, I don't have any of my own, so I am learning from Jarrod and Audra."

"And Nick," Audra said, brightly.

Charlie laughed.

"Did I hear the delightful sound of Charlie Evan's laughter?"

The women turned to see Jarrod enter the parlor. Charlie stood and Jarrod took her hands in his and warmly kissed her cheek. "I take it you're adequately recovered from the trip?" his eyebrows were up while he tilted his head down to examine her face with some concern.

Charlie smiled up at him. "Oh, yes! Thank you, Jarrod, for bringing me."

"And have you recovered from your run-in with my obstinate little brother?" his face relaxed into a smile.

Charlie's eyebrows rose. "For such a big house, news travels fast, doesn't it? And your 'little brother', as you call him, didn't seem so little to me."

"But then you were looking up at him from the bath," Audra furnished, eagerly.

Victoria looked interested. "From the bath?"

Charlie's pale skin pinked slightly. "I was taking a bath in Audra's room and Mr. Nick Barkley barged in. I think he was surprised that I was not Audra and it took him a moment to recover."

Jarrod and Audra smiled.

Jarrod released Charlie's hands to kiss his mother and sister. "That is one of Charlotte Evans' great qualities, Mother: her diplomacy."

Nick Barkley heard laughter in the parlor and peeked in. Standing in the middle of the room, holding hands with Jarrod, was a charming red-haired creature that stood no taller than Jarrod's chin. Her smile was captivating as she spoke animatedly with Jarrod, Victoria and Audra. He frowned thinking that this could not be the wretched woman who'd accused him of 'ogling'. Instead of dark hair, her hair was red. Not orange-red but a deep auburn red like the late evening lights of sunset reflected in the shadows of the trees. He moved closer to get a better look, when his mother called out to him.

"Nick, don't stand like a specter at the door. Come in and greet our guest," Victoria called to him.

He moved in cautiously and the woman turned to look at him, her smile wavering slightly.

"You've met Ms. Evans?" Victoria continued.

Nick understood now why Jarrod had been confused earlier. When he'd seen her before, her hair was darkened by water. Now he felt embarrassed by his earlier behavior, but embarrassment made him more disagreeable than was usual. "Miss Evans," he nodded, slowly walking closer.

Her eyes were blue-green, Nick decided when she looked up at him, framed with thick dark eyelashes, over which arched eyebrows that were slightly darker than her upswept hair, but the red was still visible there. Her skin was the porcelain that would be expected from someone of San Francisco's social circles, with a tinge of color to her cheeks. Her full, blush lips were pressed together in a small smile as she nodded to him and offered her hand.

"Mr. Barkley."

He cautiously took her hand and gently squeezed it.

"I'm afraid we may have gotten off to a poor start, Mr. Barkley. I would like to apologize if I left you with a bad impression or if I behaved offensively."

He regarded her suspiciously for a moment but saw only sincere hope in her eyes and nodded. "Oh, well, I think we were both out of sorts," he pulled his lips back into a smile. "Why don't we just forget it and start over?"

She nodded with a broad smile. "Hello, my name is Charlotte Evans, but my friends call me 'Charlie'. I'm a school friend of your sister Audra's and just arrived from San Francisco with your brother, Jarrod. How are you?"

He kept her hand in his through this re-introduction. He bowed over it at her conclusion and smiled. "Nick Barkley, ma'am. Welcome to our home," then he kissed her knuckle.

Victoria, Audra and Jarrod exchanged amused looks around them at Nick's uncharacteristically chivalrous behavior.

When he rose and met her eyes again, her cheeks seemed a little more flushed and her breathing a little quicker.

"Wonderful!" Victoria pronounced. "We were having tea, gentlemen, would you care to join us?"

At that point, a quiet presence entered the room, dusting his britches with his hat as Silas, the Barkley majordomo, arrived to take it.

"Heath!" Audra exclaimed, happily. She took Charlie by the hand and walked over to Heath. "Charlie, this is only brother you haven't met. Heath, this is an old friend of mine, Charlotte Evans."

His speech had more of a drawl to it as he spoke through a half smile. "Audra, it doesn't seem like you're old enough to have 'old' friends. And, Miss Evans, you don't seem to be much older than Audra, if you don't mind me sayin'."

Charlie smiled, widely. "I don't mind, at all, Mr. Barkley."

"Call me Heath."

"Then you must call me Charlie."

He nodded. "I'm covered with trail dust. If you'll excuse me, Mother," he said acknowledging the older woman who still sat behind them. "I'll go wash up for dinner."

Audra took Charlie's hand, "Would you like to freshen up before dinner, too?"

Charlie leaned toward her friend. "Is that your way of hinting you want to pick my brain for impressions?" she said, softly, with a wink.

Audra laughed. "Yes! Mother, you will excuse us?"

Victoria smiled. "Of course."

"Nick, Jarrod," Audra acknowledged her brothers.

Charlie turned to her hosts. "Excuse us, please," then laughed as Audra pulled her up the stairs.

When they reached Audra's room, Charlie plopped down in a chair, breathlessly.

"Are you okay?" Audra asked, her blue eyes filled with concern.

Charlie smiled at her friend. "I haven't felt this good in a long time. I think the doctors were right about the countryside being good for my health."

Audra sat on her bed. "Tomorrow, I'll show you part of the valley. You'll love it, I'm sure. And the fresh air will rejuvenate you."

Charlie nodded. "I can't wait."

"Now, tell me what you think of my family," Audra said, eagerly.

Charlie laughed. "Your mother is the most regal woman I've ever met. She's so beautiful! I can see where you get your looks…"

"What about my brothers?"

Charlie shook her head. "You really are a naughty girl," she laughed. "What do you want me to say? Heath and Nick are very different from Jarrod and Eugene - like they're four points on a compass. I'm certain your mother is the rose in the middle."

"And me?"

"You're the sun, Audra," Charlie smiled widely, holding her hand out. "Thank you for insisting that I come with Jarrod."

Audra took her hand and smiled back at her. "I'm so glad you did."


	2. Argument

Nick looked to the horizon and saw one of the Barkley carriages approaching at a casual pace. He took off his hat and used the same arm to wipe the sweat off his brow as he watched the carriage approach. A knot developed in his stomach when he saw that it was being driven by Charlie Evans. He dismissed the feeling of dread by reasoning that they'd settled the disagreeable nature of their first meeting.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder about the mark on her shoulder and _that_ in itself was enough to make him feel uncomfortable. After all, she was a friend of Audra's and had travelled from San Francisco, unescorted, with Jarrod. That made her off-limits in two different ways.

Besides, she had already shown him that she had a sharp tongue and was quick to judge. 'No, sir,' he thought. 'No reason to get mixed up with that.'

Suddenly, the carriage was pulling up to him. Startled out of his thoughts, he smiled at her. "Miss Evans."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Barkley!" She smiled.

"What brings you out here? Where's Audra or Jarrod?"

She smiled, looking around, giving Nick a moment to look her over. She was wearing a blue-green day dress that reflected the color of her eyes. It emphasized her curves nicely, leaving her collarbone and neck bare. A broad brimmed straw hat sat on the seat next to her, obviously meant to keep the sun off her face, but was not being used because of the carriage's roof, leaving that auburn hair uncovered and pulled gently back in a ribbon.

"I guess Jarrod is working. Audra was supposed to come with me, but she had a gentleman caller arrive as we were preparing to leave. I told her to go ahead and that I would just go exploring. She told me to stay on the road and I would end up making a large circle." She smiled up at him. "'Impossible to get lost,' she said."

Nick leaned forward. "Well, that might be true, but it doesn't mean that you should have come alone. Audra should know better. She forgets that she grew up here and knows the dangers." Nick motioned toward the direction in which she came. "Give me a few minutes and I'll take you back."

She frowned. "I'm really enjoying the day, Mr. Barkley, and I don't wish to go back just yet. Now, if you're very concerned, you're welcomed to escort me for the afternoon. I brought lunch enough for two."

Nick smiled a tight, closed-mouthed smile. "I don't have time to take you around for the afternoon, Miss Evans. This is a working ranch and some of us have work to do." His tone was impatient.

Charlie shrugged. "Okay," she said, lightly. "I'll just continue on my own. See you at dinner?" She picked up the reins.

"Now, just wait, Ms. Evans. As I said, this is a working ranch. There are dangers: stray cattle, possible trespassers, the carriage could throw a wheel or break an axle."

Charlie frowned. "I'll tell you what. I'll stay on this road. When you're done with your work, you come and find me and escort me back."

Nick shook his head. "Why are you being so stubborn?"

Charlie looked at him, seemingly shocked, and blinked. She smiled, incredulously. "Stubborn?" She chuckled. "Why, Mr. Barkley, I thought we were having a discussion – a difference in opinion, perhaps, but a discussion, nonetheless. How is that stubborn?"

"I'm telling you what you should do to be safe and you refuse to listen."

"And I'm making every effort to let us both have our way. I'm stubborn? Perhaps, it is you who are stubborn."

"Next, you'll accuse me of ogling you, again."

Her jaw dropped open and her eyes widened. With a snap, her jaw closed and she slapped the reins against the horse's rump, causing him to jump to a trot immediately.

"Now, wait!" he called after her, swearing softly under his breath, pulling his horse to follow her.

She started the horse running faster and, soon, his horse was at a full gallop to catch up to her. Finally, he passed her and reached down to the bridle of the horse pulling the carriage. His horse, Coco, was a well-trained mount and was easy to manage as he pulled on the bit of the other horse. When he finally got the carriage stopped, he quickly dismounted and approached the carriage, furious.

" Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" he roared.

Her chest heaved and her nostrils flared as her eyes snapped with anger. She threw the reins at his face and jumped out of the other side of the carriage. She lifted her skirts off the ground and marched away from him, her head held high and her back stiff.

"Of all the..." Nick knocked the reins to the side and quickly moved around the carriage, his long strides quickly closing the space between them. He reached out and pulled her arm to swing her toward him. She was in mid-stride and his tug sent her off balance and into his chest, knocking a breathy "oh!" out of her. He grasped her other arm and looked down at her, marveling how she could behave so angrily but still look so pale.

"What are you thinking?!" he growled down at her. "You could have gotten yourself killed. Now, get back in that carriage so I can take you back to the house!"

"You will find, MISTER Barkley, that I don't take kindly to being TOLD what to do! And I refuse to go anywhere with you! You are a liar and NO GENTLEMAN!"

Nick's eyes narrowed. "Listen, LADY, I may not be the kind of wilting, have-it-your-own-way, dandy gentleman that you're used to in San Francisco, but I won't let anyone, man or woman, call me a liar!"

"Why? Is the truth painful to hear? Are you so used to looking down on the world from that great beast of yours that you can't bear it when someone won't look up?"

"What in Sam Hill are you talking about?! How have I lied to you?!"

"You said you would forget our first meeting and, yet, in our very NEXT conversation, you BRING IT UP!" She wrenched back to free herself. Then she started to stalk off again.

Nick stood there for a moment, frowning. "Aw, hell!" He took his hat off and slapped it against his thigh, then squashed it back on his head. "Miss Evans! You're right about tha-" he stopped speaking as she crumpled to the ground. He ran to her and found her unconscious. "Damned fool woman!"

He gathered her limp form up into his arms and carried her back to the carriage, where he placed her in a semi-sitting position while he retrieved his canteen from his saddle. He untied the kerchief from around his neck and doused it in the cool water from the canteen. Then he climbed into the carriage next to her and wiped her face and wrapped the kerchief around her neck, loosely. He took off his hat and started fanning her. "Come on!" He tapped her face, gently. "Charlotte Evans! Wake up!"

She groaned softly.

"That's right," he coaxed. "Open those beautiful eyes, Red."

Her eyelashes fluttered. Then her eyes opened, slowly.

Nick smiled down at her. "There, now."

She smiled, slightly, and licked her lips.

"Oh, here," he placed the canteen to her lips, allowing her to take in only a couple of drops. "Not too much," his deep voice was almost a whisper.

She raised her hand to wave the canteen away. "Thank you," she whispered. She smiled up at him.

"How are you feeling?"

She touched her hand to her forehead. "Foolish."

Nick smiled. "And right you should," he said, tenderly.

She raised an arched eyebrow. "Don't start again, Mr. Barkley. I'd hate to have to get out of this carriage and faint on you all over again."

He chuckled. "Why don't you call me Nick?"

"Nick," she murmured. "Did you call me 'Red'?"

He smiled glancing up at her hair. "You heard that, did you?"

She moved to sit up. He backed up to allow it.

"How 'bout you let me take you back to the house now?"

She smile, a small, closed-mouthed smile, and nodded. "I think you should."

He took up the reins, then, and gently prodded the horses into a slow trot, back toward the house.

They arrived to the house after riding in relative silence. He looked at her. "How are you feeling?"

Charlie looked down at her hands. "No less embarrassed. Thank you for your care," she turned to look at him, in earnest, placing a gloved hand on his forearm. "Please, Nick, don't mention this to anyone. I was foolish and prideful, and I let my temper get the better of me. Of course, you would know your property better than I, and I should have listened to you." She looked down again. "I hope you'll accept my apology for the trouble I've caused you."

Nick forgot in this moment that he'd sworn to avoid her. He smiled crookedly. "Don't worry," he said, softly. "I won't mention it. And you weren't the only one who lost her temper. I should have been more accommodating. AND I shouldn't have brought up what we both agreed to forget. I'll accept your apology, if you'll accept mine."

She searched his face for a moment. Then she smiled and held out her hand. "Pax?"

He looked down at her hand, turned sideways like men shake hands. Nick chuckled and took her hand. "Pax!" He shook it firmly, pleased her small hand gripped his with at least some strength, given her previous condition.

Nick climbed out of the carriage and walked around to help her out, taking her lightly by the waist. When her feet touched ground, her knees buckled, slightly. He caught her easily. She grasped his vest and straightened her legs, as he supported her. He simply waited for a moment until she looked up at him and smiled. "Got my sea legs back, now."

His eyes scanned her face. "I want you to head upstairs and rest until supper," he commanded, gruffly. As an afterthought, he added. "If you don't mind my advice," he glanced at her head again and smiled. "Red."

She took a deep breath, which he felt to his toes. She pushed herself upright and smiled. "I will take your advice, Nick." She looked down again, then back up to him. "Thank you, again."

He grinned. "Come on." He took her elbow and guided her up the step to the front door of the house.

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After dinner, Nick, Jarrod and Heath were in Jarrod's study, playing pool. Nick was standing by the fireplace, smoking a cigar and drinking whiskey. To his brothers, he was brooding.

"Think it's incurable?" Heath asked Jarrod, with a tilt of his head in Nick's direction.

Jarrod glanced over at the middle brother and grinned. "I don't know. One can never tell. But I think the patient is a strong specimen. He should recover if he wishes to."

"What are the two of you on about?" Nick snapped.

"Your mood, dear brother, is quite pensive," Jarrod smiled. "Which is unusual for you."

"Really?"

Heath nodded, his eyebrows drawn together. "Yeah. Usually, you're downright irritable."

Nick threw a look of ire toward the youngest brother. "Are you tryin' to say I'm not irritable now?"

Heath grinned. "Nope. Just pensive."

Nick threw back his drink and slammed the glass on the table next to the pool table. "Jarrod, I have a question to ask you."

"Told you. Here it comes," Heath warned, with a tilted grin.

Nick stopped and looked at Heath. "Here _what_ comes?"

"You're going to ask Jarrod if there's anything between him and Charlie. I told him you would."

"Oh, you did, did you?"

"Yep."

"So I'm predictable, am I?"

"Only to family, I'll bet." Heath grinned.

Nick scowled at him. "Well, you're wrong. I wasn't going to ask about Charlie."

"Sure, you weren't." Heath then tried to hide the grin, but it showed in his eyes.

Before Nick could protest further, Jarrod smiled at Heath, then looked back at Nick. "Charlie is just a friend, Nick. I met her when Audra was in San Francisco in school. I saw her, occasionally, when visiting Audra. After, I saw her at some of the social events. I took her home once when she was deserted by her escort. Then, Audra asked me to bring her here. We're friends, that's all."

Nick nodded. "Is that how she feels, too?"

Jarrod looked curious. "What?"

"Have you considered how she feels?"

"Thought you weren't going to ask," Heath grinned as he lifted his drink.

Jarrod smiled, cutting off Nick's response. "Actually, yes, Nick."

"Well?" Nick asked with a glare in Heath's direction.

"I believe her words were 'I know you're Audra's brother, but I hope you don't mind that I've adopted you as mine as well'."

Nick suddenly looked alarmed. "You think she feels that way about the whole family?"

Heath frowned. "No. I don't think she'd adopt you that way, Nick. You're too disagreeable."

"Oh, but she'd adopt you?"

Heath shook his head. "No. She really don't know me, yet."

Smiling, Jarrod leaned against the side of the pool table and crossed his arms. His face turned serious, then. "Nick. What Charlie needs right now are friends. Not romantic liaisons."

Nick's glare moved from one brother to the other. A menacing grin appeared, "Well, Big Brother, since when have I ever needed your advice in regards to women?"

Jarrod shook his head. "Never, Little Brother. But, this time, I know her a little better than you do. Take my advice. Just be her friend."

Nick looked from Jarrod to Heath and back. "What?Are you kidding me? The two times we've been alone together, we argued. Fightin' like cats and dogs all the time is NOT my idea of fun."

Jarrod grinned at Heath, who smiled back.

Then Heath frowned, though his eyes danced and his eyebrow rose. "Oh, of course, not. And seein' as you don't like to argue with ANYONE..."

Nick straightened to his full 6'2", a full two inches taller than either of his brothers. "Why don't you just rack 'em up? Are we gonna play pool or stand around talking?"

Heath looked at Jarrod and smiled. Jarrod nodded to Heath with his eyebrows raised and a smirk, but as Nick and Heath prepared for their game, Jarrod's eyes narrowed, regarding his stubborn younger brother with concern, which he quickly masked when Nick looked back at him.


	3. Trip to Town

"I want to go riding," Charlie announced to Audra as they sat to breakfast.

Jarrod, the only other person in the room, looked up from his paper. "Is that wise?"

Charlie looked at Jarrod with a smile, then back to Audra. "Maybe. It feels like it's been centuries since I've been riding and I used to enjoy it so!"

"You don't think it'll be too much?" Audra asked. "After all - "

"After all, the doctor said I should avoid excitement." Charlie said, pouting, and sat down, with a sigh. "Maybe I should take up sewing."

Jarrod's eyebrows rose with a smile. "You?"

Audra smiled, also. "I could help you make a dress."

Charlie was grinning back at Jarrod, then she looked over at Audra. "Oh, heaven's Audra! You know I can't sit still for all of that. I'll die of boredom!"

Audra lowered her eyes. Charlie's face dropped, she leaned to her right and grasped her friend's hand.

"And my work would pale in comparison to your exquisite needlework. It'd just make me more frustrated, you know? I do appreciate the offer, though. Maybe I'll just do some reading in the parlor instead."

Audra smiled and nodded. "I know it's hard for you to stay still..."

Nick and Heath entered the dining room then, with Victoria not far behind. Audra looked at them, startled, then glanced at Jarrod and Charlie. Charlie patted Audra's hand and smiled.

"Good morning, good morning, good morning!" Nick said, cheerily. "What a beautiful morning! Ah, there you are, Mother! Good morning!"

"Well, someone got up right chipper this morning," Heath commented in his low, mild manner as he took a seat across from Charlie.

Nick smiled as he took a chair across from Audra, to his mother's right and Heath's left. "Just eager to get to work, today. Half day of work, then a trip into town. Hey, there, ah, Charlie, you've been cooped up here for more than a week. Would you like to come to town with me?"

"Oh, yes!" Charlie smiled. "I would love it!" She glanced over at Audra, triumphantly. "What time shall I be ready?"

"Well, I'll come home around lunch time, clean up a bit and we'll go then."

Charlie smiled and nodded. "Great. I'll be ready."

"Audra?" Nick asked. "Would you like to go, too? Or is that Allan lad coming by?"

Audra pinked. "I'll stay."

"That would be a 'yes'. Heath said, leaning toward Charlie, whose laughter filled the room as Silas brought in more food so the late-comers could eat breakfast.

Charlie covered her mouth and looked at her friend, whose dimpled smile broadened, encouraging Charlie to enjoy the mirth. "Well," Charlie said, with a grin back to Heath. "You can hardly blame her. Joseph Allan is _quite_ a handsome man. And it doesn't hurt that when she enters the room, he completely forgets everything," she leaned in to Heath. "And everyone, even exists."

Heath looked impressed. Jarrod and Nick leaned forward.

Nick opened his mouth to speak, but Jarrod cut him off. "This sounds serious, Audra."

She simply took a bite of her eggs with a demure smile.

Charlie grinned widely at Audra. "I think it is a work in progress."

Audra's eyebrows rose.

"For him, of course! All Audra would ever have to do is look in a man's direction and he'd be clay in her hands, willing to be molded into whatever form she wanted."

"Charlie!" Audra sounded shocked.

Charlie's eye danced as she took a bite of her breakfast.

Jarrod exchanged looks with his brothers, who seemed to make a silent agreement to keep a protective eye on their little sister and this 'Allan lad'.

Victoria Barkley smiled at the head of the table. What her sons didn't know was that she had already spoken to Audra about Joseph Allan and knew that their relationship was still at the first blush stage. She also realized that Charlie did a wonderful job of focussing attention on Audra and wondered what she, Audra and Jarrod had been talking about before she arrived.

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Charlie sat in the parlor at noontime waiting eagerly for Nick to arrive from the range. She was excited about going to town. She watched through the window for him to arrive, not paying any attention to the book resting on her lap. When she finally saw him riding up, she quickly leaned back in her chair and picked up her book. As the door burst open and Nick bellowed, she realized her book was upside down and quickly righted it.

"Charlie!" Nick bellowed. "Charlotte Evans!"

"I'm here, Nick," she laughed, standing. "My goodness, do you ever do anything quietly?"

He looked over at her from the foyer and smiled. "If I did, people would confuse me with Heath."

She laughed. "I sincerely doubt that. Volume aside, the two of you are day and night to each other."

Nick nodded. "That's no lie. Listen, I'm going to go wash up real quick and we can go. I figure we can ask Silas to pack us up something to eat on the way. I don't think you ever went up to the South pasture on your excursions, did you?"

Charlie smiled broadly. "Not that I know of. You go wash up, I'll tell Silas."

He smiled and nodded as he bounded up the stairs, two at a time, which encouraged her to move quickly to the kitchen.

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Less than a half hour later, Nick and Charlie pulled away from the house in the Barkley buggy, lunch packed behind them. He skillfully guided the horse down the road toward the Southern edge of the Barkely property, on the way to the town of Stockton. Eventually, they arrived at a hill with a large oak and Nick pulled the carriage to a halt.

"Hungry?"

She smiled broadly. "Famished."

He smiled. "Well, okay, then. Let's eat."

He stepped down and offered his hand to her. She smiled and put her hand in his as she jumped down. Nick quickly release her hand and caught her by the waist when it looked like she was going to lose her balance.

"Oh!" Charlie gasped. "Thank you!" She looked up to find his face a breath away from hers.

He sobered. "You're welcome."

She took a breath and smiled, then took a step back. "Silas said it's roast beef, from last night," she said, brightly.

Nick cleared his throat and reached in the back to get the basket. "Got it. I figured we could picnic under the tree there."

Charlie nodded. "Let's."

After a minute, the blanket Silas packed was spread out with sandwiches and strawberries. Charlie sat down across from Nick and offered him a plate.

He smiled at her and took the plate. She began to eat her own food in small bites, as a lady should. After she finished, she reached up and pulled the pin from her hat and took her hat off, allowing the sun to filter through her auburn hair. He followed suit and took off his own hat, leaning into a reclining position with his long legs stretched out in front him. He put his arm behind his head and smiled up at her.

"This is nice," he said.

"Yes," she smiled at him from her sitting position.

"Better than fighting."

Her smile widened, and she laughed.

Nick frowned. "What's so funny?"

"You're so easily riled, Nick. It's almost fun to fight with you."

His eyebrows rose. "Oh, really?" He smiled at her. "Is it? Or are you just trying to get my attention?"

She pinked. "Why, Mr. Barkley," her faint Southern drawl became more pronounced. "I do believe you have found me out."

"You don't have to fight with me to get my attention, Red."

She pursed her lips. "You do know that _nobody_ calls me that."

Nick's smile widened. "Good. That makes me the only one."

She allowed her smile to return. "Yes. I guess you think that makes you special."

"I am. You know, just now, I thought you were going to say I was clay, instead of 'easily riled'," he grinned at her.

Her eyebrows rose. "You?" She shook her head. "No, sir! You're wrought iron. It takes fire as hot as Hades to bend you and then it would be very difficult to mold you into anything you didn't want to be."

His eyebrows rose. "And you?"

She laughed. "Me? I'm water...a little heat and I melt into a puddle before your eyes, remember?"

He chuckled. "I guess I do." He thought for a moment, then shifted up on one elbow. "Now that I think about it, though, it occurs to me that water makes iron stronger."

Charlie scoffed. "Well, that explains it."

He frowned. "What?"

"Our first few encounters."

He paused a moment, then threw his head back and laughed. "Yes, I guess that would explain it."

She smiled at him. "Though I will admit," she stopped and looked down at her folded hands.

He reached over and covered her hands with one of his. "What?"

Without looking up, she said, softly. "I think I like laughing with you more than fighting."

He reached up and touched her cheek. "I know I do."

She smiled and cupped his hand on her cheek.

The horse whinnied and they both looked at it. He tossed his head and scoffed.

"I think he's trying to remind us of our errands," Nick pulled his hand back and used it push himself into a sitting position, looking annoyed.

"Well, as someone once told me: this is a _working_ ranch. Not a whole lot of time for dallying, I suppose." She began to pack the remains of their lunch back into the basket.

Nick looked at her as she worked. He always marvelled at how pale she was, but now the sun seemed to pink her skin on her face, neck and exposed arms. He looked up and noticed that the sun had shifted so that their tree wasn't offering much shade. He felt guilty that she was getting sunburned. He stood and went to the buggy and began to pull up the folded back top.

"What are you doing?"

"Mother and Audra will have my hide if I let you get sunburned and you're already turning pink."

Charlie looked down at her arms and put a hand to her cheeks. She smiled at him. "You don't have to put the top up. I can put my hat back on," she said, approaching the buggy with the basket.

He turned and looked down at her. "No," He took the step to close the distance between them and reached around her head to her hair. With only a moment's searching, he found the pins holding her hair up and pulled them out, letting her hair fall in waves to her shoulders. "When was the last time you felt the wind in your hair?"

She put her hand up to her hair and smiled. "Not in a very long while."

He grinned. "Well, then get up there and we'll let her run a bit."

Charlie smiled excitedly and lifted her skirts to climb into the carriage as Nick went back and retrieved the blanket. Tossing it in the back with the basket, he climbed up next to her, smiled at her, then took the reins and urged the horse forward at a brisk trot.

Just outside of Stockton, Nick pulled the horse to a slower pace and Charlie began to attempt to arrange her windblown hair into something less than the wild mane it had become. He laughed when she realized that it was too tangled to put back up and swept it over her shoulder, trying to smooth it down. She scowled at him good naturedly and made a comment about men and short hair, which made him laugh again. By the time they were pulling up to the General Store, they were both laughing.

He got out of the buggy and quickly moved to her side and put his hands at her waist, this time, to help her down, marvelling at how his hands almost circled her tiny waist entirely. When she found her feet on the ground, she looked up at him and smiled, as he looked down at her. He thought she looked at his mouth for the merest instant and her smile wavered and her eyes dropped.

He slowly removed his hands from her waist and drew himself up straight, clearing his throat. "Well, now. Where did you want to go?"

Charlie swallowed and looked back up at him. "Didn't you have errands?"

He put his hands on his hips and looked behind him at the General Store. "Yeah, well, I'll get to that. Was there anything you needed?"

She shook her head. "An afternoon out. I'll go in with you and look around while you attend to the supplies you came to get."

Nick nodded and gently took her elbow to guide her into the General Store. "Then I'll walk you over to the dressmaker's so you can see if there's anything you like there."

She beamed up at him. "That would be very nice, Nick. I'd like that."

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Jarrod locked his office and turned to walk to the livery where he housed his horse. He then saw Nick standing outside the dressmaker's shop as if he were waiting for something. He paused with a frown because the dressmaker's shop was not a usual place for Nick to frequent. Then he saw the unmistakable red hair of Charlotte Evans. She handed a package to Nick and then took his arm as they walked away from him.

Shaking himself, mentally, he went to retrieve his horse to head home.

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Audra was waiting in the parlor when Nick and Charlie returned. They were both laughing and Charlie looked as if she been riding wild stallion, with pink cheeks and her hair windblown. Nick was carrying a three packages.

Jarrod walked in quietly behind them and Audra wondered what he was thinking.

"Oh, Audra!" Charlie exclaimed. "I brought you something!"

Nick handed her the top package of the three. She smiled up at him with a thank you, then swept toward Audra, cheerfully.

She handed the package to Audra and smiled. "Open it."

Audra couldn't help but smile at her friend's exuberance. She nodded and moved to the settee and sat with the package on her lap. She untied the string and unfolded the paper to find a beautiful pale blue shawl of fine satin and a single line of intricate, fine gold embroidery that followed a waving path around the edge of the shawl that ended with a small gold butterfly at one of the corners.

"Oh, Charlie! It's beautiful!"

Charlie beamed. "I knew you'd like it! I told Nick that would match your eyes exactly." She leaned forward and said, conspiratorially. "Of course, being the proper brother, he pretended not to remember what color your eyes were, but he wasn't fooling me."

Audra smiled at her, the dimple in her left cheek showing. "I believe it."

Charlie looked up to see Jarrod looking at her from the fireplace. "Oh, don't stew, Jarrod," she rose, touching his arm. "I got you something, too." She returned to the foyer and picked up her handbag. From it, she withdrew a small box and returned to the room, handing it to her friend.

He frowned. "What is this for?"

Charlie's eyebrow rose. "You know me better than that, Jarrod. Since when do I have to have a reason to get something for a dear friend, when I see something I know they'll like?"

Jarrod smiled, then. "Yes, I guess I do." He opened the box and found an intricately carved fountain pen, lacquered to a high gloss. He looked at her with eyebrows raised. "Charlie, this is the pen I was looking at in San Francisco, when we were on our way to the train station."

She nodded. "You remember when I left to powder my nose? I bought it when you walked away and have been holding it until the right time." She took his hand in hers. "I wanted to thank you and Audra for bringing me. I feel better than I have in a long time and I think it's being here." She leaned up and kissed Jarrod's cheek. "Thank you." She moved to Audra, who was still sitting, captivated by the shawl. She hugged her friend.

Charlie jumped back up. "Is your mother home?"

Audra nodded. "She's in the kitchen."

"Wonderful! Come on, Nick!" She rushed out of the room.

Nick, smiling, picked up the other two packages from where he'd put them, tilted his head and tried to pretend to be upset. "Do you always order your friends around, Red?" But he winked at Audra and followed the effusive redhead out of the room.

Audra stood and looked at Jarrod. "What's the matter?"

Jarrod looked startled at the question. "What?"

"You look worried. You looked worried when you came in and you still look worried."

"I saw Nick and Charlie in town today."

Audra nodded. "Yes, he picked her up around lunchtime."

"I'm concerned that he may be getting in over his head."

"How so?"

"When was the last time you saw Nick willingly, happily, play valet for anyone?"

Audra thought. "When he was seeing that girl from Sacramento..." She frowned then. "No! Jarrod, you can't think..." She looked to the door they'd departed through. "What do we do?"

Jarrod shook his head and took his sister by the hand. "I don't think there's anything we can do."

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Charlie and Nick swept into the kitchen where Victoria was stirring a pot, while Silas was preparing the dinner dishes. "Hello, Mother!" Nick boomed.

Victoria pulled away from the stove and gave him a look of reproach for his volume, as he leaned to kiss her cheek. Then she smiled at Charlie. "My dear, you look like you've had a good day."

Charlie smiled. "Oh, yes, excellent, really! Nick let the horses run and I took my hair down and it was almost like riding again. And then he was very sweet to be my errand boy while I did some shopping." She turned and took one of the packages from Nick. Then she approached Victoria. "I wanted to thank you for welcoming me into your home, for making me feel like a part of the family."

Victoria shook her head. "My dear, it has been our pleasure having you." She frowned, wiping her hands on a towel. "You're not thinking of leaving us are you?"

Charlie shook her head. "No, not yet." She handed the package to her. "Please, accept this with my adoration."

Victoria put the towel down on the butcher block table and took the package. "Thank you." Like Audra, she pulled the string and carefully unwrapped the paper. Inside was a shawl like the one Audra had received, except it was black satin with silver thread embroidered into tiny stars that followed the entire bottom edge of the shawl. "Oh, Charlotte! It's so beautiful! Thank you, my dear!"

Charlie beamed when Victoria hugged her. "I'm so glad you like it!"

Victoria picked up the shawl again and looked at it. "Of course! I can't remember the last time I've seen something so beautiful!"

"Just the last time you looked in the mirror, Mother," Nick responded, dutifully.

The three of them laughed and Victoria left Silas in charge of dinner, while she took the shawl to her room.

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After dinner, Charlie walked out to the corral behind the house, carrying the last package. It was smaller than the rest. She turned it over in her hands as she walked and finally leaned against the fence and looked at the horse that was standing nearby.

"There you are," Nick called. She turned toward the sound of his voice to see his long legged stride bring him to her side, quickly. "I was wondering where you'd disappeared to."

She smiled. "Just wanted some fresh air."

"Everything okay?"

She looked at the package again. Then she handed it to him.

He frowned and took it, but looked her questioning. "For me?"

She nodded.

He tore open the package to find a new pair of leather gloves. He looked at her. "You picked these up at the General Store today?" She nodded. "These are the ones I was looking at while I was waiting for our supplies." She nodded again. He smiled. "Thank you, Charlie. This is really thoughtful."

She smiled and looked back at the corral . "Actually, I wanted to thank you for today. It's been so long since I have had so much fun."

He looked from the gloves to her. "It was my pleasure." He shifted a little closer to her and spoke lowly. "I haven't had as much fun in a long time, either."

She smiled at him. Then, she looked back toward the corral, thoughtfully.

He frowned. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head. "I was just thinking about all the times Audra invited me to come and I didn't accept. I feel like I wasted so much time in San Francisco. If I had known how beautiful this country was, I would have come years ago. And I might not have ever left."

"I noticed you told Mother 'Not yet', earlier. Are you planning to leave?" He place the gloves on the top of the fence.

She looked at him. "I wouldn't ever want to overstay my welcome."

"You could never do that," he said in a husky tone that made her look at him.

"You don't think so?"

He moved a half step closer to her and moved to take hold of her shoulders, turning her to face him. "As far as I'm concerned, you could stay forever."

She looked down. "There will come a day when I will have to..."

Her words were cut off as he cupped her chin and brought it up. " _I_ want you to stay," he insisted.

Her eyes grew moist. "I want to stay, Nick, very much."

He smiled, gently. "Then it's settled."

"I'll stay as long as I can."

He moved in closer and his voice deepened into husky, almost-whisper. "Then I'll have to work to keep you here." He then bent and gently pressed his lips to hers. He pulled back slightly, and when she didn't pull away, he pulled her tightly into his arms and kissed her again. She melted into him and snaked an arm up to his neck and held on.

When he pulled away, he was pleased to see her green eyes were darkened and hooded. After a moment, she blinked and smiled slightly. "I don't know if I'm convinced, yet."

Smiling, he lowered his lips to hers again, reveling in the taste of her and the way she clung to him. Finally, he drew back and smiled as her eyes fluttered open. He threw his head back and his loud laughter started the filly in the corral when she murmured "Wow!"

They separated as she smiled and shyly reached for his hand. He grasped her hand firmly and they began to walk back to the house.

"You forgot your gloves," she said, gently.

"Oh!" He let her hand go and stepped quickly back to retrieve the gloves. When he returned to her side, he swept her into another kiss. "Just in case you forgot," he said upon releasing her.

"Oh, no fear of that," she breathed, with a smile.

They walked back into the house and he escorted her to her room, where he gently kissed her forehead and said good night.


	4. Illness

Nick arrived home to see Dr. Meran's buggy parked in front. He'd been impatient to get his work done and get home all day because he wanted to see Charlie. She hadn't been up yet when he finished breakfast and left for the range that morning, so he didn't get the chance to see her. Not that he thought seeing her in the morning would make him want to see her less in the afternoon. He jumped off his horse and strode into the house with a purpose.

"Charlie! Mother! Audra! - " he shouted at the top of his lungs. He took off his new riding gloves and threw them into his hat that he tossed on the table in the foyer.

"Nick!" his mother's voice called to him from the parlor.

"Mother," he frowned as he strode toward her. He kissed her cheek and looked down at her. "Why's Doc, here?"

Victoria tilted her head. "Charlotte was feeling under the weather and Audra went for him." She smiled. "Charlotte insisted she didn't need the doctor, but I think that Audra's a little over-protective of her."

At that point, the doctor and Audra descended the stairs, speaking softly together. Nick and Victoria moved to intercept them.

"Hey, Doc? How is she?"

Dr. Meran's looked up, almost surprised to see Nick. "Well, she has a slight fever, so I've told her to stay in bed a day or two, but with rest she should be back on her feet soon." He turned to Audra. "Let me know if she takes a turn."

Audra nodded. "Thank you, Doctor."

He nodded, then said his good-byes and Victoria escorted him to the front door. Nick started up the stairs.

"She's resting, Nick," Audra said, catching his arm as he passed her.

Nick patted her hand. "Okay. I'll just look in on her. I'll be quiet."

Audra nodded and stepped off the bottom step and moved into the parlor.

After seeing the doctor off, Victoria turned to see Nick disappear into the hallway at the top of the stores. Then she looked and found Audra sitting alone on the settee next to the fireplace. She moved, nearly soundlessly, into the parlor. "Audra? Are you okay?"

When Audra looked up, her eyes were moist.

Victoria quickly sat down, next to her daughter. "What is it?"

Audra shook her head. "I promised I wouldn't tell anyone. Oh, but Mother, it's so hard!"

Victoria took her daughter's hand. "Well, I won't ask you to violate a confidence but does it have to do with Charlie being more ill than you or the doctor let on?"

Audra looked alarmed, then her eyes welled up and tears spilled over. She quickly dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief. "How did you know?!"

Victoria smiled, softly. "I have eyes, my dear. I can see that under the color that she got from the sun, she's still very pale. She doesn't eat much. You and Jarrod are extremely protective of her. And then there was the look exchanged between you and Dr. Meran." She held up her hand. "Don't tell me. She has her reasons for not wanting me to know and that's fine. She's welcome to stay here as long as she needs. When it is important for me to know, she will tell me." Then Victoria took Audra's hand, again. "But for now, you must be brave. I am here for you, always."

Audra gave her mother a hug and wiped her eyes.

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Nick opened the door to the guest suites and stepped in quietly. He moved over to the bed and saw Charlie dressed in a pale green nightgown, under the white down comforter. Her red hair splayed out in rivulets across the white pillow. Her long, dark eyelashes lay on her cheeks, which were pale despite the pink coloring caused by the sun the day before. Her pink lips even seemed a bit more pale. One hand was placed on her stomach while the other was curled near her cheek on the pillow.

He reached out and touched her forehead. She was warm.

Then she was smiling at him. "Are you ogling me, again, Mr. Barkley?"

He smiled. "Absolutely." He turned, grabbed the chair from the near vanity table, and brought it to the side of the bed. He leaned forward and rested his arms on the bed, taking her hand in both of his. "Now, ah, how are you feeling, Red?"

" Tired. Better, now," she smiled. "I guess I just overdid it, yesterday. You have to remember, I'm a city girl. I haven't been riding in a couple of years and I haven't ridden at a gallop since I was a child. And _nobody_ in San Francisco would drive a buggy like that."

"Well, now, I'll have to be more careful in the future."

She turned and covered his hand with her other. "Don't you dare. I had fun, Nick. It was worth a day in bed."

"Doc said two."

She scoffed, leaning back and looking to the ceiling. "I feel better already." Then she looked at him with a smile. "Maybe it's the company."

He smiled back. "Then I'll have to stick around a bit."

Charlie sighed. "Good. Tell me about your day."

"Aw, you don't want to hear about that."

"Every detail. What time did you leave this morning? What was the weather like? Did you ride that monster of yours? What's his name?"

"I left around seven. The weather was cool and clear and the 'monster's' name is Coco."

"Coco?"

Nick smiled. "Well, that's his color, isn't it?"

"Yes, but it just sounds like a dainty name for such a brute."

His eyebrows rose. "Say, now, dainty?"

She smiled. "I said the name is dainty, not the horse."

He looked at her sidelong and decided that she was baiting him, but not seriously. He remembered her comment about him being easily riled. He smiled and wagged a finger at her."I'm not going to fight with you while you're in bed, Red."

Charlie smiled widely. Then she tried to pout. "You figured me out." Her smile spread again. "Now, tell me about your day."

Somewhere between chasing a stray that had broken through a fence and mending the fence, Charlie fell asleep. Nick touched her forehead, brushing her hair back. Then, standing, Nick leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. It didn't seem as warm as it had before. He smiled, pulled her blanket back up, moved to close the curtains, blocking out the late afternoon sun and walked out of the room, softly pulling her door closed.

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Nick came home to find Charlie sitting in a rocking chair on the porch with a glass of lemonade next to her. She was wearing a pretty white sundress with a green sash. Her hair was pulled back, but not pinned up. She was reading when he rode up.

She looked up and smiled. "Hello, Mr. Barkley. It's a hot day."

"Yes, Miss Evans. It certainly is," he dismounted and loosened the cinch on his horse's saddle.

"Would you like some lemonade?"

He approached, slowly, taking off his hat and wiping his brow with his handkerchief. "Well, yes, thank you."

She picked up a glass and poured from a pitcher that seemed to be sitting on the floor near her feet.

Frowning, he tilted his head and looked at where she placed the pitcher. "Is that a block of ice?"

Charlie nodded. "I wanted to keep the lemonade cold and Silas suggested a bucket of ice. I thought the bucket would cause the ice to melt too fast. So we went down to the ice house to think up a solution and I thought to try this. Turns out that the melting water on the soles of my shoes helps keep me cool." She held up his glass.

Nick smiled and took the proffered drink. Then he took the chair next to her. "How are you feeling?"

"Rested. Content. You?"

"Bone-tired, dirty and sweaty. Grumpy as a bear," he gulped his lemonade. "I'm going to take a bath before dinner and that should put me in a better mood." He stood again.

She nodded. "I wasn't going to say anything while you were standing downwind." Then she sipped her lemonade.

He put his glass down on the table, glaring at her. He saw the grin playing at her lips and stepped closer to her, leaning down to place a hand on either arm of her chair. When she lowered her glass, he grinned, menacingly. "Want a hug?"

She laughed. "I'd love one." She pushed him away. " _After_ you take a bath."

He took her hands in his, leaned forward and placed a kiss on her nose. "It's good to see you up and looking well, Red. I'll be back for that hug and more of your sass."

She laughed again and pushed him away again. "Go take your bath, grumpy bear. If I'm not here, I'll be in the parlor."


	5. Jealousy

When Jarrod arrived home from his office late that evening, he found the family in the library where Nick was teaching Charlie how to play pool. Heath was standing by the fireplace holding a pool cue. Victoria and Audra were working on needlepoint on the settee, watching the lesson. It appeared that Charlie was playing against Heath while Nick gave Charlie instruction on choosing and lining up shots. Jarrod walked over to Victoria and kissed her cheek, then greeted Audra the same way.

"Did you eat?" Victoria asked.

"Yes. Abraham Parker came by the office with some papers and we went to the hotel to eat while we talked," Jarrod smiled. He looked over at Heath. "Looks like she's got you on the run."

Heath grinned in his quiet way and said. "Well, it's two against one."

"Now, she's making the shots all by herself," Nick defended.

"And Heath _is_ letting me win," Charlie smiled up from the shot she'd just taken. "He's missed shots that I wouldn't miss and this is only my second game."

Heath shook his head. "I think it's the distraction. I usually play against one of these ugly guys, not a beautiful woman."

Charlie smiled. "Well, I was already fighting that kind of distraction, but now that there are _three_ handsome men in the room, it's just too much. I think I'll use this opportunity to retreat." She turned to hand the stick to Nick.

Audra and Victoria looked up from their sewing as Nick frowned. "You can't quit, now, Red. You're winning."

"Then I'm quitting while I'm ahead," she laughed. "Which of the three of you is the best?"

Each one of the men were quick to claim that title and Charlie laughed, moving to the armchair across from Victoria and Audra. "That's sounds like there ought to be a tournament."

Nick puffed up and Heath smiled. Nick nodded at his brother and they racked up the balls for a new game, while Jarrod poured himself a brandy and took up a spectator position at the fireplace.

An hour later, after much laughter and gentle teasing from Audra and Charlie, Heath was proclaimed the winner, much to Nick's chagrin and Jarrod's amusement. Victoria laughed as she put her needlework away and stood.

"Enough!" she shook her head. "I'm going to bed. Have your rematch, if you want, Nick, but remember you have to go to town tomorrow." She turned to Audra and Charlie, both giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Ladies?"

Audra nodded and bid her brothers good night. Charlie said good night to Jarrod and Heath, then paused, smiling at Nick. "Good night, Nick."

Nick smiled, his temper cooled and his eyes gentled. "Good night, Charlie."

He watched her walk out of the room. Then he turned around to his brothers. "Well, now. A drink!"

Jarrod was frowning. Heath caught sight of the frown and frowned himself. "Jarrod?"

The eldest brother quickly erased the frown. "Huh? What? I'm sorry, Heath, did you say something?"

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, yes, yes. I think I'm just tired. I'll leave you two to your rematch."

Nick stood with the whiskey bottle poised over a glass. "Aw, Come on, Jarrod!"

"Good night, Nick." Jarrod nodded to Heath, then. "Heath." Then he walked out.

Heath looked from Jarrod's disappearing back to Nick's slack jawed reaction. "What's his problem?"

Nick, recovering, slammed back the drink he was holding. "I wonder." He put his hands on his hips and looked squarely at Heath. "Say, Heath, you don't think he's really got feelings for Charlie?"

Heath raised an eyebrow. "He said he didn't."

"Yeah," Nick nodded, lowly, looking down at the drink in his hand. "But I wonder. You know how sometimes you don't feel hungry until someone talks about food?"

Heath tilted his head. "So you're thinkin' that because you asked if they were something, he started thinkin' about it and now has a thing?"

"Yeah! And because he told me he doesn't, he doesn't feel like he can tell me!"

Heath shook his head. "I don't know, Nick. That's seems like an awful big stretch."

Nick shrugged and put down his glass. "Yeah. You're probably right. I just don't get why he's always got that look when Charlie and I are in the same room."

Heath frowned. "I never noticed before."

Nick took a deep breath. "Maybe it's my imagination. Good night, Heath."

Heath nodded as his brother passed by him and out the door. He walked over to put his pool cue away, took the shot that Nick had poured for him, drank it, and frowned, thoughtfully, in the direction his family had gone.

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Nick stood in the foyer, putting on his riding gloves, preparing to leave for town. He turned when he heard his name.

Charlie was walking down the stairs dressed in a pale blue day dress. "Are you going to town?"

He smiled up at her. "Good morning, Red."

She smiled. "Good morning, Nick." She arrived in front of him and looked up. "Will you answer my question now?"

His eyes left hers to look at her mouth, then returned to her eyes. "Ah, yes," he said, softly, finally. "Yes, I am."

"May I go with you?"

He shook his head. "Oh, no. This is no pleasure jaunt. I have work to do."

She smiled and stepped closer to him. "What's the matter, Mr. Barkley, are you not strong enough to get work done if I'm around? And here I thought you were wrought iron."

He smiled and drew himself up taller. "And you are a little tougher than water."

"Well, water can wear down rock, over time, right?"

Nick laughed. "But not today, young woman. I have work to do!"

"And I'm not going to interfere with your work! Please, Nick, I've been cooped up for three days now and I really want to get out. I'll go to the dressmaker while you're conducting your business and see if she finished the dress I ordered. If you're not done when I am, I'll go to the hotel and wait for you. I won't even be around to distract you!" She touched his vest and looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"I'm not running the buckboard."

"Okay."

"And you're going to keep your hat on."

"Okay."

"And if you get tired, you're going to find the nearest place to rest and send for me."

She smiled, broadly. "Of course."

Nick looked up to her hair, then back down. He grasped her shoulders and smiled. "Okay, you can go with me. Go what you need."

She smiled broadly. "Oh, _thank you_ , Nick! I'll be right back!" She started away from him, then came back and reached up to kiss his cheek, catching the corner of his mouth instead. When she pulled back, she caught his eye and smiled. Then, before he could stop her, she was off and on her way to get her things.

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The Barkley buckboard came to a stop just outside of town. When they'd started out, Charlie had tried to engage Nick in conversation, but Nick remained quiet, answering questions with one or two words. Eventually, Charlie gave up, bewildered, and they continued in silence. When Nick pulled the buggy to a stop outside of town, Charlie looked at him with a frown.

"Nick?"

"What are your feelings for Jarrod?"

Charlie looked surprised. "What?"

"Jarrod! What are your feelings for him?" Nick demanded.

Charlie blinked. "He's a dear friend. The brother of my best friend in the world." She smiled. "I believe I even told him that I'd adopted him for my own big brother. Why?"

"Is that how he feels about you?"

She frowned. "He's never given me any indication that he feels anything for me than the affection that a brother might have for a sister. Or anything more than friendship." She tilted her head. "Why, Nick?"

Nick frowned.

She studied his face for a moment, then her jaw dropped realization crossed her face. Charlie suddenly gasped; then, abruptly, she stood and climbed down from the buckboard. She began to walk away, her back reed straight and her head high.

Nick swore and tied the reins to the brake, jumped down from the buckboard and followed after her. "Charlie," he called. When she didn't stop, he jogged a couple of steps and caught up to her, grabbing her arm to swing her around. She refused to look at him. "Charlie!"

She sniffled and pushed against him.

He held her tight by the arms. "Look at me."

She shook her head. "No."

"Look at me!" He shook her slightly.

Finally, she did. That's when he saw the tears in her eyes. "Let me go! How could you think I would let you kiss me if there was something between Jarrod and I?! Do you think so little of me? Have I ever given you a reason to think of me that way?" The tears spilled over and she jerked. "Oh, just let me go!"

He released her and she turned away, but didn't continue walking. Instead, she put her face in her gloved hands and shook.

"Aw, Charlie, I'm sorry!" he frowned. "You have to understand: I had to ask!"

She lifted her head from her hands and reached into her belted waist for her handkerchief. "Shouldn't you have asked _before_ you kissed me?!"

"Yes! But I didn't!" He took off his hat and threw it to the ground. "Then Jarrod started acting strange and I started thinking..."

She whirled around. "And you came up with the notion that he was in love with me and that I was somehow guilty of misleading you?!"

He dropped his head, embarrassed, and shrugged.

She stepped closer to him. "How dare you?! _How dare you?!_ " When he raised his head to look at her, she slapped him.

He wasn't expecting it and he staggered a step from the force of it. Then she turned away and began to walk again. He picked up his hat and followed after her. "Charlie, wait!"

She continued to walk, ignoring him.

"Now, dammit, Charlie, wait!" He caught up to her and pulled her elbow. When she turned, he saw her tears again and tried to pull her close.

She tried to jerk away. "Don't touch me!"

"Now, Charlie, I'm trying to apologize!" He pulled her close and she lowered her face into his chest, growing still. "I didn't think. I wasn't trying to accuse you of anything. I just had to be sure. I know I should have asked before, but I guess I just don't think straight when I'm around you. I just got swept up in...well..." He dropped his hands from her arms, looking away. "I'll take you back home, if you want."

She looked up at him. He didn't want to meet her eyes, but he eventually did.

"I'm sorry, Red," he said, gruffly, then he averted his eyes again.

She looked at him for a long while, her tears drying on her face. "Oh, Nick..." she sighed. She put her arms under his arms and hugged him.

Relieved, he put his arms around her and pulled her close. They stood that way for what seemed like hours. "Forgive me?" he whispered, behind her ear, finally.

She looked up and found herself a hair's breadth away from his face. "Nick," she whispered. She reached up and brushed her lips to his, gently. He pulled her close and kissed her back. One of her hands snaked up to his neck and she clung to him. Finally, they parted and, still holding her, he guided her back to the buckboard, where he helped her up. After he climbed up, he put his arm around her and urged the horses forward. When they entered town, he moved his arm, for propriety's sake, but she didn't pull away, instead she looked up at him. When he looked down at her, he examined her face and she merely raised an eyebrow and smiled a small smile.

A huge weight lifted from him and he put his arm back around her, squeezing her close, urging the horses to the center of town.

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Charlie walked into Jarrod's office.

Jarrod looked up from the work he was reading at his desk and smiled. "Charlie! I didn't expect you," he stood. "Come in! Sit down. Can I get you some coffee?"

She smiled, her usual soft smile and took the proffered chair. "I talked Nick into bringing me into town. He's running his errands and I decided to come see you." When Jarrod handed her the coffee cup, he noticed there was something unusual about her eyes.

He frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nick asked me if there were any romantic feelings between you and I," she looked down at the coffee. "Why would he ask me that?"

Jarrod shook his head. "I don't know." When she looked up at him with her left eyebrow raised, he straightened. "I _don't_ , Charlie. I told him weeks ago that there wasn't anything but friendship."

She nodded, then, and sipped her coffee. "Is that truly how you feel?"

"Absolutely," Jarrod smiled and sat down next to her. "You're a dear friend, Charlie, and I care about you, but there's nothing more than friendship between us."

She smiled. "I was worried. I thought that maybe he read something in your face."

Jarrod looked down then. Then, his bright blue eyes leveled at her. "He may have."

She frowned. "What?"

"Concern."

She sighed. "Concern about what, exactly?"

"Charlotte, don't pretend you don't know!" He exclaimed. He took a deep breath. "Three days ago the doctor confined you to bed," Jarrod stated, flatly.

She waved him off. "I simply overdid it the day before. You know I've been resting a lot and on my first real outing, I convinced Nick to run the horses, twice, and I spend all afternoon shopping, going from store to store. I wasn't used to that much activity."

He stood, walking back to his desk. He turned around in front of it. "Have you told him?"

Charlie looked down. "No."

"Charlie, don't you think you should? Do you think it's fair to Nick to keep him in the dark?"

She shook her head. "I told you and Audra that I wouldn't come here if anyone knew. I don't want to tell anyone else." She stood and placed her coffee on a nearby table. "Look, Jarrod, I didn't come to Stockton with the intention of falling in love with your brother. But the head has a hard time fighting what the heart wants." She turned to look at him, fully. "If you think it's better that I leave, then I will."

Jarrod shook his head. "Audra and I meant it when we said you were welcome for as long as you wanted to stay." He took a deep breath. "And at this point, I think he'd follow you."

Her eyebrows drew together, as if surprised. Then she looked down again.

Jarrod approached her. "Charlie, I just don't want either of you to get hurt. If he's seeing my concern..."

"I'll tell him, Jarrod," she touched his forearm. "You're right that it's not fair for me to...well, encourage his affection without being honest."

Jarrod nodded at her. He took her hand in his. "Thank you."

She nodded.

"Now," he said, with a smile. "What are your plans for lunch?"

"I was going to stop at the dressmaker's shop and then go to the hotel, maybe have lunch while I wait for Nick to finish," she shrugged.

"Fine. Then I'll go with you," he stated. When she looked at him narrowed askant eyes, he smiled with his eyebrows raised, and helped her stand. "We'll have lunch together. It's not often I get to have a beautiful companion for lunch, and I intend to take advantage."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Mrs. Barkley did a wonderful job teaching the Barkley men what to say to get on a lady's good side."

Jarrod chuckled, took her arm and guided her to the door, pausing a moment to retrieve his hat.

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Nick found them in the hotel restaurant before they ordered and the three of them had a nice lunch together.

After lunch, Nick helped Charlie into the buckboard with her packages and followed her up. Jarrod told Nick he'd be home for dinner and waved good-bye to both of the them as they headed out of town, before returning to his office.

After a while, Charlie looked at Nick until he looked back and smiled.

When she spoke it was barely audible over the sounds of the horses hooves on the ride, the clanking of the chains that connected horses to the buckboard and the creaking of the heavily laden buckboard itself. "Nick, I need to tell you something,."

He kept his face neutral and nodded. "About?"

"About why I came to Stockton."

"Well, that's easy; Audra and Jarrod invited you. And several times from what you said."

She smiled. "Yes, several times, but I finally did come because..."

He glanced over at her, expectantly.

"The doctors in San Francisco told me that I needed to get out of the city," she glanced down. "For my health."

He smiled. "Well, they must have been right. You said it yourself that you feel better now than you have in a long time. I'm glad it's working." He nodded. "And that explains why the other day wore you out."

She nodded. "And I _do_ feel much better - "

"And you'll feel even better if you just take it easy and don't push yourself too much." He pronounced.

"But, Nick - "

"The fresh air has to be good for you, though. How about this: every evening before supper, we'll hook up the buggy and go for a short drive. That way you'll be able to rest but you can still get out of the house and get fresh air. Soon we'll have you good as new."

"Nick, I - "

"Now, no argument, Red," he pulled the horses to a stop and turned to face her. "I know you don't like to be told what to do, but I'm going to insist. During the day, you'll rest; in the afternoon, we'll go for a ride; then dinner. From time to time," he smiled. "we'll go into town for dinner or shopping." He reached out and put his hands on her shoulders. "You'll be back to one hundred percent in no time."

He drew her closer and kissed her, then. She melted in his arms. When he pulled back and looked down at her face. Her eyes fluttered open and he smiled. "Say, I'm going to have to put a gate on this road," he said, huskily. "Make it more private, if I'm going to keep kissing you here."

She smiled up at him. "I wouldn't want you to think you have to take me all the way out here to kiss me."

He noticed that her hat had fallen off and reached up to touch her hair. "Why do you always put your hair up?"

She reached up and pulled the pins holding it up out, so that it fell over her shoulders. "Better?"

He smiled. "Yeah."

"If you like it down, Nick, then I'll never wear it up again."

His smile widened. "Yeah, I'd like that."

She reached up and touched his cheek. "I love to see you smile, Nick. I don't ever want to make you unhappy."

He tightened his hold on her. "Now, I don't want you to think about that. You never could."

Her eyes lowered. "I'm afraid that I could, Nick, and that I will."

"Hey, look at me."

She raised her eyes again.

"You, Charlotte Evans, make me happy just smiling at me. Now, you keep doing that and I'll never have a reason to be unhappy."

She smiled at him, then.

"That-a-girl," he whispered, just before he lifted her into a kiss again. She clung to him. When they finally parted, she touched his face again. He took a deep breath. "I, ah, think we'd better get back," he sounded gruff.

She nodded. "I'd hate for Jarrod to beat us home."

He laughed. "We'd have a hard time explaining that, wouldn't we?"

Charlie straightened and Nick picked up the reins. Just as they had gone into town, they arrived back at the Barkley home with his arm around her.


	6. Discovery

As the summer passed, Charlotte decided to take Nick's direction. She relaxed, read, improved her sewing, tried her hand at painting and did nothing to really exert herself. In the evenings, as the sun lowered and the evening breezes cooled the summer air, Charlie would find herself in a chair by the corral, greeting the cowboys as they came in from the range, waiting for Nick, who would ride in, hand off his horse to one of the stable hands and bring the buggy around to where she sat. Together, they'd drive around the vast grounds of the Barkley estate, taking a different direction each day, often stopping to talk until the sun touched the horizon. Then, they would return to the house to clean up and attend dinner with the family. In the evenings, the family would spend time with each other either in the parlor or in the study, laughing, playing pool, Audra would sometimes play piano and sometimes the family entertained friends. Sometimes, the evening would end with Nick and Charlie going for a walk in the garden and then upstairs where he would kiss her good-night in front of her bedroom door.

As summer turned into fall, Charlie felt as if life was perfect and that this was where she was meant to be.

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Nick threw doors to Jarrod's home office open and walked with his long strides. "Jarrod, I need to talk to you."

Jarrod looked up from a legal paper he'd been reading and smiled as his brother poured them both a drink and moved to Jarrod's desk to put one of them down in front of Jarrod. "Well, hello, brother, please come in, help yourself to some scotch."

Nick frowned for a moment, as if he was confused. Then he smiled, and ducked his head slightly, chuckling. "Yeah, well, nevermind that."

Audra walked in at that time. "Nick? You wanted to talk to me?"

Nick nodded. "Oh, Audra, yes! Come," he took his sister's arm and escorted her to a nearby armchair. He offered her something to drink.

Jarrod took the drink in his hand and leaned back at his desk. "What did you want to talk about?"

"You know that Charlie doesn't have any close relatives alive anymore, right? Her only relative is a cousin in Richmond."

Jarrod frowned. "Yes."

Nick nodded. "Well, I'd say she's really become a part of our family over the past two months, wouldn't you?"

Jarrod nodded. "Yes."

"I was thinking that she should stay...

"Audra and I, as well as Mother, have told her repeatedly that she's welcome to stay as long as she'd like."

Nick nodded, taking a drink. "Oh, so have I! And she seems happy, doesn't she?"

Audra smiled. "I can't recall ever seeing her happier."

Nick looked at his younger sister and gave a very nervous, half-smile. "Yeah," he nodded. "Yeah..."

"Nick, what is this about?"

"Well, I wanted to tell you, first," he threw back the drink and turned to put the glass down while he said, quickly. "I'm going to ask her to marry me."

Audra's eyes widened and her mouth went slack. She looked at Jarrod, who stood frowning.

Nick turned to face them with a smile. "Well?"

"Oh, Nick, you can't mean that!" Audra said, sadly.

He frowned. "What?!"

Jarrod rounded his desk. "Nick, why?"

"Why?! What do you mean 'why'?" Nick looked confused. "I thought you'd be happy, not looking at me like I said I was dying."

Tears sprang to Audra's eyes and she dipped her head. Jarrod walked to stand next to her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"What is it?" Nick demanded.

"Didn't Charlie tell you why she came here?" Jarrod asked.

"Well, she said the doctors told her to get out of San Francisco for health reasons."

"She didn't tell you what those reasons were?"

Nick shrugged. "No."

"Oh, Nick!" Audra sighed with anguish in her voice.

Nick frowned and straightened. "Now, look here! Stop with the dramatics and tell me why it is you don't think I should marry the woman who has called you, Audra, her 'best friend in the world', and you, Jarrod, her 'adopted brother'!"

"She's dying, Nick."

Jarrod's words reverberated around the room.

Nick's jaw slackened for a moment, then it snapped shut and he laughed. "Naw, come on!" He looked at Audra who was full on weeping into her handkerchief, now, then to Jarrod, who was gripping her shoulder, with sorrowful look. His face turned dark with fury. "No!"

"Nick," Jarrod started.

"It can't be! She's been in perfect health for the past couple of months! She had that one bout with exhaustion but that was because she wasn't used to it. You've got to be wrong!" He yelled. He turned on his heel then and stormed out of the room.

"Oh, Jarrod!" Audra stood as Nick left, then she turned into her eldest brother's arms and wept.

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Nick entered Charlie's room with a short rap on the door. She was lying on her bed, napping, her auburn hair cascading on the white pillow, framing her face, while her deep blue skirt tangled around her legs, exposing her bare feet and calves. Nick was too preoccupied to pay attention to her shapely bare legs as he inspected her face and noticed that it was pale, but it always was. Her breathing was deep and even...or was it?

He went over to her and listened. Every once in awhile, there was a catch in her breath, a rasp that he hadn't heard before. He sat on the edge of her bed and stared at his hands, unsure of what to do.

"What a wonderful sight to wake up to," he heard her soft, sleepy voice behind him.

He turned to look at her. His eyes searched her face for answers.

She frowned and reached out to touch his arm. "Nick? What's wrong?"

He pulled away and stood up facing, stiffly, away from her, putting one hand on his hip and running his hand through his hair.

She stood and went to him. "What is it?"

"Are you dying?" He asked, bluntly.

She pulled back as if burned.

He turned to look at her. "Are you?!"

She moved to turn away, but he grabbed her by the shoulders. "Answer me!"

Tears came into her eyes. "Yes," She whispered..

He dropped his hands, shocked, despite trying to prepare himself for the worst. "What?! But you're the picture of good health!"

She shook her head, unable to speak through the tears that now tumbled down her cheeks.

He turned away, again running his hands through his hair. "Why didn't you tell me?!" He asked turning back to her.

Again she shook her head, her breath becoming more ragged as a sob escaped her.

He looked at her for a long moment, then took the step to close the distance between them, pulled her roughly into his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He blinked hard and pursed his lips against the rush of fierce emotions that threatened his sanity.

After a long while, her crying turned into soft sobs and then, eventually, her sobs stopped. She clung silently to him, sniffling. Finally, she tried to push away, but he wouldn't release her.

"Nick," she said, softly. "I'm sorry."

He cleared his throat. "I wouldn't let you tell me," he said, gruffly.

She shook her head. "I should have tried harder. It was just so easy to tell myself you were right: a regimen of rest would make me well." She looked up. "I wanted it to be true."

He cleared his throat again and looked over her head. "What is it?"

"Consumption," she lowered her head into his chest again. "The doctors gave me six months if I stayed in San Francisco, but told me that it could be longer if I got out of the city."

"Six months?!" Nick grated. "You've been here two!"

She nodded. "I have been honest about feeling better, though," she offered. "Oh, Nick! I'm so sorry!"

He tightened his hold on her again and buried his face in her hair.

The room was darker, the afternoon sun was setting, when he finally pulled back. He gruffly whispered her name and she looked up. He examined her face in the shadows. Wordlessly, he lowered his lips to her and crushed her against him again, feeling fire in their kiss.

He felt her tremble and he pulled back, just slightly and saw tears in her eyes, again. "No more of that, Red," he growled.

She frowned. "I told you I never wanted to make you unhappy..."

He pushed her back at that point and stared at her, his brow creased with a frown and his dark eyes blazing, holding her at arms length. "Do you expect me to be _happy_ about this?! Well, I gotta tell you, Charlotte Evans, I'm not!" Then he turned on his heel and left the room.

Charlie's face crumpled with a renewed onslaught of tears. She threw herself onto the bed and wept until she fell asleep.


	7. Coming to Terms

Audra knocked softly on Charlie's door, when there was no answer, she opened the door. In the evening shadows, she saw her friend lying face down on the bed. "Charlie?" She walked over and placed her hand on Charlie's warm back. "Charlie? It's time for dinner."

Charlie stirred but didn't look at Audra. "Would you make my excuses to your mother? I don't feel like eating."

Audra frowned. "Are you okay?"

Charlie sniffled, then quickly got to her feet and went to the window. "Me? I'm great. Dyin', but, hey aren't we all?" Charlie looked down at her hands. "Yeah, I'm just great."

Audra knew her friend well enough to recognize signs that belied her words, if the sarcasm did not give it away. Charlie had spent a lot of time working to cover her Virginian accent, but when she was upset her Southern was clear and thick. Audra frowned. "Charlie," she said, reproachfully.

"I'm sorry, Audra," she sighed. "I'm just not feelin' sociable."

"Nick?"

Charlie nodded. "Yeah."

"Why didn't you tell him, Charlie?" Audra sounded very sad.

"I started to. He can be so effusively optimistic that I wanted to believe when he said all I needed was rest. I really started to believe that I could wish it away."

"He's very upset."

Charlie laughed, derisively. "How do you think I feel?" She turned and faced Audra. "Really, Audra, I'm just not good company now. I'm just going to turn in early."

Audra nodded and stood. "Good night, Charlie."

"Good night, Audra."

Audra walked downstairs to the dining room, where Jarrod, Heath, and her mother sat at the table. "Charlie's not coming."

Heath frowned. "Nick's not coming either. He rode out to the line shack."

Victoria tilted her head and looked at Audra. "Did they have a fight?"

Audra looked at Jarrod, who looked back and, then sighed. "Well, there's no sense in hiding it anymore." He threw his napkin on his plate and stood. He walked over to the buffet with his arms akimbo. "Mother, Audra and I invited Charlotte to stay indefinitely because she's dying."

Heath's jaw went slack, with his fork paused halfway between the plate and his mouth. He quickly recovered and put his fork down.

Victoria was equally alarmed. "Well, I knew that she was ill, but she seems much healthier now than she was when she came here."

"She hides the pain she feels," Audra said. "I think she has even been lying to herself about feeling it."

"And she just told Nick?" Victoria asked.

Jarrod and Audra exchanged looks of guilt.

" _You_ told Nick?!" Victoria asked. "What on earth for?"

"He was going to ask her to marry him, Mother," Audra explained, softly.

"And you thought she would accept without telling him?"

The room was silent. Heath reached out across the table, grabbed a couple pieces of bread and put several slices of roast beef between them. "Excuse me," he nodded to Victoria.

Victoria looked up at him, gratefully. "Have Silas give you something to take with you." She knew without being told that Heath was headed to the line shack. Heath nodded at her and quickly left by way of the kitchen. She then looked back at her other two children. "How much time does she have?"

"We don't know. The doctors told her six months if she stayed in the city. She was going to Richmond, so she could live out the rest of her time without looks of pity everywhere she went," Audra explained. "But I couldn't bear for her to be alone...She only agreed to come if we promised not to tell anyone."

Victoria's eyebrows rose. "But then Nick fell in love with her."

"I did try to tell him not to become romantically involved with her," Jarrod explained.

Victoria smiled. "Oh, Jarrod, you should know better! That's simply not something anyone can control."

Jarrod nodded. "You're right, of course."

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Heath rode up to the line shack and took his time dismounting.

"Heath!" Nick roared, from the door. "What are you doing here?!"

Heath removed his saddle bags, without looking back. "Mother sent me to bring you some food."

"Thanks, but I don't want any. You can take it back."

Heath turned away from his horse and looked grim. He shook his head. "I'd rather deal with your anger than hers."

Nick nodded. "Fine. You delivered it. Now leave me alone." He took the bag and started back into the shack.

"To stew?"

Nick stopped. He slowly turned and glared at Heath. "What did you say?"

"Did you come up here to stew? Or maybe feel sorry for yourself?"

Nick threw the saddle bag down and rounded on his brother. "You don't know what you're talking about! Now, I suggest you get back on that horse and ride out!"

Heath shrugged. "I guess I just don't get it."

Nick frowned. "What don't you get?"

"How your hiding out here helps her."

Nick pointed at Heath. "Get out of here, Heath," he warned.

Heath shrugged. "It's up to you, but when I found out my Mother was dying, I wanted to spend every minute we had left together. Don't see as how you wouldn't want to do the same." Heath referred to his biological mother, rather than Victoria Barkley, who'd taken her husband's illegitimate issue as her own son.

Nick paused. "You KNEW?!" He moved toward his brother with hand clenched into fists.

"Now, Nick," Heath raised his hands in a motion of surrender. "Jarrod told Mother and I at dinner."

Nick's hands remained clenched, but he stopped his advance. "Get out of here, Heath," he refused to look at his brother, then.

Heath shook his head, slightly. "Can't do that, Nick."

Nick glared at Heath. After a moment, he turned on his heel and walked into the shack without another word.

Used by ranch hands who were working working a distant part of the ranch late at night, the shack was simply a one room wood frame house with a wood stove and straw ticking for a cowboy to put his bedroll on. There were two cook pots, a coffee pot and a couple of metal plates on a shelf with tins of rice, beans and coffee. A small cabinet held dried beef jerky that could be eaten alone or added to the cook pots. A well furnished the water that could be hand pumped into the shack. There were a couple of hooks on the wall for hanging hats, gun belts, jackets, etc. There was also a sawhorse to one side to hold a saddle. Near the stove, there was a table with three chairs.

A few minutes after Nick came in and sat down, staring at the coffee cup in front of him, Heath came in with his saddle and placed it on the saw horse behind Nick's. He threw his bedroll on the floor behind the door and put his hat on a hook. Then he took the food to the table.

Nick took a draught from his cup and said. "You can save that. I'm not hungry."

Heath nodded. He walked over to the stove where the coffee pot sat, grabbed a cup and tilted the pot over the cup, finding that the pot was empty. "You're out of coffee."

"Didn't make any." Nick picked a bottle up off the floor and filled his cup with its amber liquid.

Heath's mouth quirked up on one side and he put the pot down. He walked back to the table, took the bottle and poured some in his own cup. Then he reached in the food bag and pulled out the bread, roast beef and block of cheese. He pulled out his pocket knife and cut a piece of cheese and made a sandwich. He took a bite and chewed quietly, watching his brother.

"And I _don't_ want to talk." Nick insisted.

Heath simply nodded and took a drink from his cup, then another bite.

They sat in silence for a long while. Nick drained and refilled his cup twice more before he spoke again. By that time, Heath had finished his meal and refilled his cup once more.

"Why didn't she tell me?" Nick groaned. "Hell, why didn't Jarrod or Audra?!"

Heath shrugged his face. "She left San Francisco to avoid the stares of pity, according to Jarrod. Makes sense she wouldn't want anyone here to know. She'd just be getting the same pity she was running from."

Nick ran his hands through his thick black hair, and not for the first time, Heath guessed, given it's unruly and wild appearance. He drained his cup again and slammed it down on the table, standing so abruptly that his chair fell backwards. He swung grabbed the axe from above the door, throwing the door open, walked out into the darkness.

Heath shook his head and followed. Nick was taking off his shirt next to the wood pile when Heath caught up to him. "Nick?"

"Go away, Heath."

"Don't you think it's a little dark to be choppin' wood?"

"Then bring a lantern!" Nick barked, placing a piece of wood on the chopping stump. He swung the axe and split the side of his target, sending the majority of it skittering off into the dark. He picked up another piece and swung again, missing completely.

"Nick!" Heath moved to his brother's side, grabbing the axe handle before Nick could dislodge it from the stump. "Now, you're gonna end up hurtin' yourself. Stop."

"Nobody asked you, Heath. Let go." Nick growled lowly.

"I'm not about to let you hurt yourself."

"Heath, I'm warning you: Let go!"

Heath stood his ground.

Nick swore and started to turn away. Then, without a warning, he turned back and swung a hard right hand at his brother's face. Heath was ready for something and was able to dodge all but a glancing blow to his cheek. His hands came up to push Nick to the side, using the larger man's momentum to drive him forward and away. Nick stumbled, but didn't fall, catching himself on a nearby tree. He spun around with a feral look on his face.

Heath held up his hands in front of him. "Now, Nick. I don't mind fightin' you when it's fair, but you've been drinking and you're hurt."

"I'm not so drunk -"

"You're out choppin' wood in the dark and starting a fight with me over an axe," Heath reminded him. "Now, I don't want to have to hurt you."

Nick's grin was almost insane. "There, now, I'd really love to see you try!"

This time when Nick lunged, Heath was prepared. He side stepped his brother and brought the handle of the axe, dislodged from the blade while they were talking, down against Nick's hard head as he went past, causing the larger man to crumple to the ground.

Heath knelt to turn over the now unconscious giant and raised an eyebrow. "Oughta leave you out here," he muttered. Instead, he picked up Nick's arm, pulled him first into a sitting position, then a standing position. He grabbed Nick's belt and half-dragged/half-carried him back into the shack and laid him on the straw ticking. Then he went to the table, reached down for the bottle, poured the amber liquid into his cup and drank all of it. Sitting, wearily in the chair, he poured another drink and sighed as he watched his brother sleep.

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Heath was making coffee when Nick groaned and rolled to a sitting position on the straw, rubbing the back of his head. The quiet brother move to the loud brother's side and put a steaming cup in front of him.

Nick looked up. "Oh," he said, dully. "Thanks."

Heath nodded and went back to the stove. "Hungry?"

"What? No. Thanks."

Heath pulled one of the chairs from the table to sit across from Nick.

Nick looked at him. "Did I hurt you? I remember swinging, then nothing."

Heath grinned. "You couldn't hurt me, Nick. You wouldn't fight me sober and drunk you're too clumsy to be a real danger to anyone but yourself."

Nick released a half-hearted chuckle and nodded. "I guess you're right." He rubbed his neck. "Ah, Heath...What am I supposed to do?"

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself, for one."

Nick straightened. "What?!"

Heath shrugged and sipped his coffee. When he looked at Nick again, he simply raised an eyebrow at him.

Nick stood, looking around the room for the shirt he'd taken off last night. "I don't think you understand. I don't feel sorry for me!"

"Well, she doesn't want you to feel sorry for her."

"She _dying_ , Heath!" Nick yelled.

Heath nodded, sadly. "I knew a prospector once up at Wentworth Springs who said that from the minute a man is born, he starts the process of dyin'."

Nick stopped looking for his shirt and looked at Heath with narrowed eyes. "That's depressing!"

Heath turned and looked at him, fully, standing. "But, Nick, it's true. We all have to die. Some of us sooner than others. None of us knows how much time we have."

"But four months, Heath!" Nick protested. "The doctors said four more months! She's Audra's age!"

"You or I could get thrown from our horse today and die, Nick!" Heath told him. "It shouldn't be about how long we live, but how we live!" He frowned and shook his head. "Now you can stay holed up here, safe and alone. Or you can go back and chase her away with your pity." He held his hand up as Nick began to protest. "Or, brother, you can go back and love her for however long you have, and love her so both of you forget her time is short."

Nick put his hands on his hips and looked at the floor. "That's what she's been trying to do, these past two months: forget she was sick."

"And I'm sure you helped with that. Question is, can you go back to doing it?"

Nick sighed. "I don't know."

Heath nodded. "Well, I'll leave you to think about it while I go find your shirt and the axe we left outside."

Nick's eyebrows rose. "All this time I've been looking and _now_ you tell me it's outside."

Heath's mouth quirked up on one side. "Yep." Then he put the coffee cup on the chair he'd been sitting in and walked out.

Nick ran his hand through his hair again and sat down in the other chair. He looked at the bottle he hadn't finished the night before and considered pouring a drink. He put the bottle back down without even a sip, almost disgusted by it. He stood again and poured himself a cup of coffee, then stood, looking out the door of the shack Heath had left open.

The day was perfect. Autumn was just beginning to turn the leaves and the final heat of the dog days of Summer were gone. The breeze was cool and crisp but not cold. "The perfect day for a buggy ride," Nick mused. He straightened, suddenly. He'd never shown Charlie this part of the property. She'd love the view. A smile touched his face and when Heath entered the line shack, Nick clapped him on the shoulder and took his dew-damp shirt. Shrugging it on, he reached for his hat and went for his saddle.

"Nick?"

"Perfect day for a buggy ride, Heath, my boy!" Nick roared. "Now, you can stay up here if you want, but I'm going to get a pretty redhead for a buggy ride. She'd love the colors up here!"

Heath's eyebrows rose as he watched his brother walk out swiftly to where the horses were tied. He smiled, for a moment, then collected his things and followed his brother.

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"CHARLIE!"

Nick was halfway up the stairs by the time his mother came out of the study. "Nick!"

He turned and looked down at her. "Mother! I have to get to Charlie."

"Nick!" She called. "She's gone."

"What?" Nick came down the stairs two at a time. "What do you mean? Gone where?"

Victoria held out a note. "She has family in Richmond."

 _Dear Audra,_

 _I am so sorry to leave in the middle of the night, like a common thief. I feel horrible, but I fear I cannot face your family. You all have been so kind and gracious to me and I am certain you would try to talk me out of leaving. Unfortunately, I must._

 _Please tell Nick that I am sorry I hurt him. I never meant to and I should not have brought my heart along. If I only could have left it in San Francisco, I would have never…_

 _I thank you and your family with all I am for the hospitality, friendship and, if I may say, I love you for all the love you have shown me, Sister. I will finish my days content in the knowledge that I have experienced something so great as a real family and so dear as real affection._

 _Yours most sincerely,_

 _Charlotte Evans_

Nick looked up from the letter, slack jawed. "When did she leave?"

"Sometime last night. Jarrod and Audra have gone into town to see if they can catch her."

Nick let the letter fall and ran out of the door. Victoria didn't even try to stop him, as she followed him to the door and watched him jump on Coco and set off at a full gallop.

Audra and Jarrod were standing outside the train station when Nick arrived. "It's too late," Jarrod told him and he reared Coco back, at a gallop through town in the direction he knew the train would take.

When he caught up with the train by going across a part of land the train had to go around, he galloped next to it for a time, then jumped from his horse onto the red brake car. He then moved forward from car to car until he found her sitting alone, looking at the window at the various fields that passed by.

"Why would you leave without so much as a good-bye?" he growled at her.

"Nick!"

"Answer the question," he sat down next to her.

"What are you doing here?!"

He took off his hat and looked past her out the window. "I'm either escorting you back to Stockton or to Richmond."

She frowned. "Oh, Nick," she pulled out her handkerchief. "You can't…"

Nick looked at her. "Why didn't you say good-bye?"

"It's too hard," she whispered. "You, Audra and Jarrod wouldn't have let me go."

Nick nodded. "Damned right!" He settled back in his chair.

"Nick," she frowned. "I can't let you throw your life away. And I can't stand to think of you taking care of me in my last days with pity on your face. I couldn't bear it." She rose and moved past him and toward the back of the train.

He rose and followed her, smiling with the knowledge that she couldn't really go far, without jumping off the train and he didn't believe that she was that foolish.

He finally caught up with at the rear of the train. He gently put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her back against him. "I'm not letting you go, Red," he whispered her ear.

"You have to," she responded, her voice choking on tears.

"I don't think you understand something, Charlotte Evans," he reached around her and turned her to face him. He lifted her chin to force her to look at him. "I am _not_ letting you go. If you want to go to Richmond, fine, we go to Richmond. If you want to go back to Stockton, great, we'll go back. If you want to go to St. Louis, or New York or Europe or anywhere else, then that's where we'll go. We. You _and_ I. Because I'm not letting you go."

She tried to pull away, but his firm pressure on her arms kept her doing so. He grinned down at her when she looked up at him again. She frowned up at him. "Why do you look so self-satisfied? Don't you understand I 'm telling you no?!"

"Because you know I'm too stubborn to take no for an answer. And because I know something you don't know."

She pressed her lips together. "What?" she said, finally.

His hand moved to cup her cheek. "I love you, Red. I want you to be my wife," his finger applied gentle pressure on her lips as she opened them to protest. "Now, I understand how you might think that's not possible right now...but I'm going to spend every day for the rest of our lives together trying to convince you otherwise. I couldn't very well do that if I let you run off, now could I?" He straightened and rubbed her arms. "So, you can stop trying to fight me, because it is the _only_ fight I can guarantee you that you won't win."

Tears sprang into her eyes. "Oh, Nick," she sighed.

"So, where are we going?"

She shook her head. "Do you mind if I just let the fact that you just told me that you love me sink in for a moment?"

His grin broadened to show a row of straight white teeth. "Absolutely," he reached up and took down her hair. Once it was down, he took her face in his hands and lowered his face to hers. "I love you, Red," he growled.

"I love you, too," she whispered.

The kiss they shared was gentle and sweet. When they parted, he pulled her into an embrace and he rested his chin on her head as she rested her head on his chest.

They disembarked the train at Fresno City, where Nick sent a telegram telling the family that they would return on the next day's train. Then they shopped and supped and got a hotel room. It was Charlie's suggestion that they waive propriety's sake and share a room. Nick grinned down at her and promised to be a perfect gentleman.

"Why start now?" she laughed.

Since he didn't bring a bag, she refused to change her clothes, so they slept together in their clothes. Nick held her and listened to her breathe. He could hear the rasp in her breath that he heard the night he found out about her illness. He pulled her close and said a silent prayer before he allowed himself to doze off.

The next day, they returned to his home to a warm welcome from the family.

They settled into the routine they had established during the summer, he would get up and go off to work; while she spent the day reading, sewing, writing and otherwise resting. In the evening, she would meet him in the corral, they would take a buggy ride - the first was to the line shack he'd taken refuge in when he realized she was ill - and talk, as if courting like two regular people in love. They would return for dinner and spend the evening with the family.

It was a year after he'd burst into her bath, after a month of days where she was too weak to get out of bed, that he held her through the night, whispering to her words of love. As morning's light filtered into her room, her coughing and wheezing finally quieted.

Jarrod approached his brother on the hill next to where their father was buried. Nick held his hat in his hand and look down at the freshly buried grave. "Nick," Jarrod said, gruffly.

Nick nodded. "We had a year."

Jarrod nodded. "Not enough."

Nick took a deep breath. "It was a lifetime," he said. "I could never convince her to marry me," he said.

"Nick, I'm-"

He held up his hand to stop his older brother. "In the end, she said she was happy she'd stayed. She said she felt like my wife even if we never…"

Jarrod nodded. "She loved you very much."

Nick's hands tightened around the brim of his hat. "I'm going for a ride. I probably won't be home for a day or two. Please tell Mother…"

Jarrod nodded and watched his brother walk away to his horse. Nick climbed up on Coco. He spurred the horse away from the family cemetery without looking back. Jarrod looked back at the gravestone for a long moment, then moved away to return to the comforting arms of his family.


End file.
